Ones and Zeroes

Chapter 25: Torn Parchment

The nurses who checked in on George everyday had taken away his gurney after seeing he would rather lay on the floor. He sat on the cold, hard tile for hours. It was hard to move with no energy. George wasn't fed, he was only given nutrients through injection. A favored method of VILE to ensure the survival of their test subjects. After about four days, his muscles couldn't take standing up anymore. He only moved or crawled on the floor. He was weak. And he hated it. He felt more weak than he ever did in these labs. Even as a kid he was able to sustain his energy with the little VILE gave him. But now, he felt more dead than alive.

The room was dark except for a small lamp in the wall typically used for lab work. He was supposed to try and sleep. But he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried. It wasn't his hunger, or his pain that kept him awake. Not even the freezing temperatures of every surface in his tiny, locked room. It was his never ending thoughts of his friends. How he'd let them down. He would never be able to get their surprised and betrayed looks out of his mind. Not Tommy's or Tubbo's. And especially not Dream's.

"Ugh." I closed my eyes in a useless attempt to sleep. My eyes felt heavy and I forced them closed each night. But I got no further than a couple of minutes of rest before being frightened awake by traumatic childhood experiences.

I started to yet again fall into my realm of dreams.

Here it comes. Another nightmare.

I expected the usual recollection of painful experimentation and testing, but was instead greeted by a surprisingly comforting memory. The day I made a new friend.

~

I was tossed to the ground lightly, it still hurt due to my bony and ectomorph build.

"Aww, wittle George wants his mummy." A kid mimicked George's British accent. "Where is she now... oh wait she doesn't want you anymore, she just needed to get rid of you so she sent you here."

Younger me just sat curled up on the floor, being kicked and beaten by older bullies.

"Hey leave him alone!" I heard Technoblade yell, he came from behind the group of boys beating me. They all stopped kicking me to look in the direction of the voice. I looked over as well, my nose bled and I clenched my stomach tight.

Great, just what I need. Another bully to beat me up.

"What... you want to join in on the fun? Upset you lost your little runt?" The boy sneered.

"No, I just think it's cruel what you're doing." His eyes glinted with slight sympathy. "I would back off if I were you."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh c'mon loosen up dude." The bully told Techno. "The kid needs to learn how much of a disgrace he is to the world. It'd be better if VILE just discarded him instead of keeping him. I mean look at him... weak." He kicked me one more time in the stomach for good measure.

"Hey! Don't fucking touch him." Techno advanced fast towards the boy and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Woah, woah, woah. Easy now. We don't need to be starting a fight over the punk." The bully shook himself out of Techno's grip. "What's the matter with you? You've been acting weird lately."

"I haven't been acting weird, I just think you guys need to back off. Leave him alone." Techno said turning to walk away.

"Dude, seriously. Did you gain a soft spot for the kid? You kidding me that's so dumb?" He chucked. "What's gonna stop us from reminding him that he's a useless piece of crap-"

Techno whipped his head around and ran back to the group. Except this time he launched a clenched fist into the bully's nose. "You mother fucker. I hope you rot in here forever." He kicked at the bully's shins causing him to fall to the ground in fear.